The Winners...

Without delay the winners of a 'Pretty Bedside Set' pattern are: Patricia Denk Oct 24 2:50am, Sam Oct 26 2:19pm, and Maddy Oct 27 9:39am:

 

The winners of a 'Library Lesson' pattern' are: Helena Oct 25 1:19am, Susan in the USA Oct 26 2:25am, and Simone Vagg Oct 27 11:24pm:

The winners of a 'Waiting For Santa' pattern are: Julia Oct 24 12:23am, Maree Watt Oct 25, 2:26pm, and Jules Oct 27 12:29am:

 

Could each of you please email me your snail mail address so I can ship your patterns to you. I hope you enjoy the pattern you receive.

I have really enjoyed reading all the comments about what everyone's been reading (I can relate to "only having time to read the pasta packet lately", we all have times like this!). I thought I'd show you what's actually on my beside table at the moment:

 

1. Simple Abundance by Sarah Bon Breathnach, a really life changing book that I read (almost) everyday, and have for about the last 8 years!

2. The Quilter's Homecoming by Jennifer Chiaverini, the tenth book in her divine quilting series. Haven't started this one yet.

3. Two For The Dough by Janet Evanovich, just finished the first one which I couldn't put down and read in less than 24 hours.

4. Where the Sea Takes Us by Kim Huynh, about a Vietnamese family starting life again here in Australia. This is what I'm reading at the moment and it's just incredibly moving and so well written.

5. Kleenex to go with my flu, which is a good chance to catch up on some reading!

Leanne Beasley xxx

Time for a Give Away...

I've had few new patterns out recently so it's time for a give away.

There's 'Pretty Bedside Set', the pattern that the ladies at the Spring Stitch-In at Glen Harrow Gardens received:

The pattern includes instructions for: the doily in the above photo, and an iron-on transfer for the doily, an A5 journal cover pattern, and a pretty stitchery for framing (or you could turn it into a centre block for a quilt or a cushion if you like):

These photos above were taken on my bedside table and of course that bedside table would include books. I love books and hence the next pattern, 'Library Lesson'. The pattern includes instructions for two different library bags exploring different techniques. The bag below uses raw edge applique (for all of you who have been wanting to know how to do it) and machine quilting. Quick and easy:

The second bag uses stitchery for the 'library' bit (Back Stitch outline, filled in with Back Stitch), and hand quilting for a traditional finish. The finished size of both bags is 15" x 15", or you can make them bigger or smaller.

The third new pattern, is 'Waiting For Santa', my latest Christmas Stocking Pattern:

 

The pattern includes instructions for making individual tags. It also includes an upper and lowercase alphabet if you'd like to use my font:

These would make lovely 'teacher presents' if you need to be making those! The pattern is written so that you can use fat quarters with very little waste.

Seeing as we have a bit of a book theme going on why not leave a comment that relates to books. You can name your favourite book, author, the book you're reading at the moment, the last book you read, the book you wish you had time to read, anything really. Leave a comment and I'll do a random draw on Tuesday the 28th of October. There's three of each pattern to giveaway.

Until then,

Leanne Beasley

A Scrumptious Sunday....

Rosie and I thought Sunday's Spring Stitch-In was just as much fun as Friday and Saturday's at Glenharrow. There was plenty of time to enjoy a cuppa as Helen can tell you:

Time to catch up with other like minded women. Here's Melly and do you recognise someone from 'Eleanor and Ruby'?:

I've had a few emails asking about recipes from the yummy food, especially the chicken salad. Love to tell you but Marg from Glenharrow is very top secret about her top secret recipes. The most I'm allowed to give away is the menu description for the chicken salad which is "Chicken filet and melon salad with lemon myrtle aioli".

Time for relaxing (and maybe a bit of stitching) in the lavendar gardens:

Time to catch up out on the porch:

 

(Note to Suzy on the right: went to 'Sorelle', the beautiful clothing shop you recommended at Mountain Gate, and shall we just say I loved it VERY much, my wallet is empty!)

Time to enjoy the day:

Time to catch up with fellow bloggers, including Nicky:

 

Nicky is also making a version of 'Butterfly Garden' and if you scroll down on her blog you will see how delicious it looks in reproduction fabrics.

I hope you've enjoyed some of my photos from our really wonderful three days at Glenharrow this year. I am working on photo albums with lots more photos so check the left hand column of my blog over the next few days if you'd like to see more.

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. I have had lots of emails asking for dates for next year. We haven't confirmed dates for next year yet, I have a very big adventure planned around the same time and am just finalising that first. If you would like to have your name added to the mailing list you can email Nel at [email protected] leaving your details and a note that you'd like to be added to the mailing list for the Spring Stitch-In. We love to share our special sanctuary with you!

What A Great Way To Spend A Saturday...

I just had to show you a few snapshots from last Saturday's Spring Stitch-In at Glen Harrow. Last post I forgot to show you my pattern for the day so here it is:

 

The ladies all received a cute little turquoise 'Yazzi Bag' with a kit from Rosie and a kit from me. My kit was the doiley you see above. Because I can never stop at just one of anything (I hear you laughing Gail) I popped an A5 journal cover into the pattern and a nice little stitchery that you can frame and hang next to your bed. I've called the pattern 'Pretty Bedside Set'.

The weather was perfect and lots of ladies sat outside and sipped lemonade (or champagne!) and stitched:

We had a ball:

The food was great:

Ladies came from near and far:

Some serious stitching took place:

And lots of lovely girl chat. Barbara (short sleeved white blouse) has introduced me to D.M.C thread number 3687 (how did I miss it?) and my life has changed forever!:

 

Karen got lots of stitching done on her version of my doiley:

 

All in all we had a wonderful time and I'll show you Sunday's Stitch-In tommorow. There'll be a giveaway too of my pattern from the Stitch-In.

Leanne Beasley xxx

Last Friday at the Spring Stitch-In...

Rosie and I love to have fun with nice name tags to start off the day:

There was lots of time to snap photos, including this one of Lisa, Mette (out here from Norway!), Debbie, Me, and Mary:

 

Show and Tell was fantastic! Here's Phena's black and white and orange 'Butterfly Garden' so far:

Don't you love Anne's version:

And look at this great version of Rosie's 'Love Is' quilt:

The gardens at Glenharrow were in full Spring beauty:

I'll post some photo albums when I catch up a bit. Life's been a blurr but hubby is home from the U.S.A. now and today's class is done so things should be back to normal tomorrow. (I'll get to that HUGE list of emails in the morning!)

Leanne Beasley xxx

It was just the BEST time...

I REALLY wanted to do a fabulous post tonight to show you what an amazing weekend Rosie and I had at the Spring Stitch-In but I am just exhausted (a really good kind of exhausted)! So tonight I'll post some photos of each day and I'll be back tomorrow.

Friday:

Friday:

Afternoon tea, well some of it:

Waiting for everyone to arrive:

Saturday:

Saturday:

Flowers:

Sunday:

 

Sunday:

 

Me and Rosie:

Sweet Dreams for now,

Leanne Beasley xxx

Can't Wait for Tomorrow (or the Next Day, or the Next Day)...

Glen Harrow is ready and waiting for all you lovely ladies that are going to join Rosie and I over the next few days. The flowers are done:

Your coffee cup awaits:

And if you'd like to stitch outside (the weather is going to be in the 20's!!!) then there'll be a spot for you:

And a friend or two:

Maybe you'd like to spend some time in the afternoon lying under the blossom just staring at the perfect blue sky:

 

However you spend your day with us we're sure you'll enjoy it...

Leanne Beasley

Lemons, Spots, and Show and Tell...

What?? I hear you cry! Yes, let's start at the beginning. This Friday, Saturday and Sunday Rosie and I will be hosting our annual Spring Stitch-In Days at Glen Harrow Gardens (we are very excited!). Each year we like to try and add something a little more special and a little more personal. I so wish I could tell you (I am terrible at secrets) but I am sworn to secrecy once again.

I will reveal one little personal touch we've added. As we have a gourmet chef catering we thought we'd add our own personal touch of 'Rosalie and Leanne's Really Lovely Lemonade' (you may remember this recipe from one of my early patterns):

After a long week of designing, for many many Summers, Rosie and I have sat on her porch on a hot Friday afternoon and sipped this lemonade. Seeing as the Spring Stitch-In is all about sharing personal time with us we wanted to share our homemade recipe with you. So today I have been in my garden picking my lovely organic Spring Lemons to make you lemonade!

Spots. We have a few spots left if you'd like to join us. Due to some last minute cancellations we now have three free spots on Friday and three spots on Saturday. If you would like to join us contact Nel on (03) 9753 5459. These spots will go quickly so don't delay. The weather is predicted to be in the mid 20's each day so this is what you may enjoy:

To the ladies that are booked in don't forget to bring Show & Tell. Last year we had a ball with all the wonderful projects ladies came with. Here's Ramona's 'Journey of a Quilter' that we all 'ooohhhed and aaahhed' over:

Hope that you're coming to join us,

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. If you can't come and join us here's the recipe for our lemonade, maybe you can whip up a batch and sit on the porch with a friend and do some stitching:

 

Mix to taste. We find about 1:10 with chilled water. Enjoy!

A Day Off...

Things have been really frantic around here lately but I decided to have a day off yesterday and just unwind a bit. Well, of course that meant catching up on some fabric play of my own! Little Miss Seven has been begging for a new quilt for her bed. Not too hard I hear you say, except that she wanted a 'Melly and Me' 'Scrappy Cabins Quilt'. At 5" a block I decided that there was no way I could finish one by Christmas so I decided to go with a traditional log cabin block making them 10" finished blocks:

I got enough blocks done that I can get a general idea of what it will look like:

The whole idea started after a 7 year old sleepover birthday party where I decided to make each of the girls their own pillowcase to take home. My 'this-doesn't-match-the-rest-of-my-bedroom-interior-designer' daughter just has to have a new quilt and I think it will look good all together.

This is such a fresh and fantastic range of fabric designed by Amy Schimler (check out her blog - it's a great read!) for Robert Kaufman fabrics called 'Creatures and Critters'. I used the creature prints and did the rest of the log cabins in my scraps. It also comes in a great colourway for boys. I think I feel a Christmas present for my little nephew coming on....

Back to getting ready for Glen Harrow (only a few more sleeps)...

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. If you fall in love with Amy's fabrics (dare you not to) she has a link on her blog that has a list of where you can purchase them. Then there's her Etsy store. And her prints. And other fabrics. Maybe you'll want to cover your whole couch in her fabric (she's done this have a peek on her blog!). So inspiring!

A Quilt For My Mum...

I promised a photo or two of the quilt that I made my Mum for her birthday. Here she is in her beautiful sunny garden with Georgia and the new quilt:

Made from a great range of flannels(had them for a while, no idea of the name of the range) it's a really snuggly quilt. I backed it with another flannel and the wadding is wool so it will be really warm on chilly nights. Of course my friend Melinda quilted it beautifully.

I stitched a label for the back too:

 

I also really love to just wrap a quilt with a lovely silk ribbon rather than gift wrap because I think looking at the quilt is gift wrap enough. To this I added a beautiful bookmark that doubled as a gift tag and I pegged it to the silk ribbon. These little gold and silver pegs are always around at Christmas time so I stock up then for the whole year!:

 

I'm so glad Mum loved her quilt!

Leanne Beasley xxx